


Both Is Good

by squirrelmort



Series: Host AU [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: College AU, Host AU, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-14
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-07 13:02:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3174430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squirrelmort/pseuds/squirrelmort
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin's club is in need of more hosts. Luckily, his new friend Rei is in need of a job. Nagisa could use one, too. Host/College au</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Starting Today You Are A Host

“Fuck.”

Rei almost jumped. He had been so focused on his studying that he hadn’t noticed someone else come into the reading room. He looked vaguely familiar, but he was hard to recognize with his face lying in his book and his arms atop his red hair.

Rei hesitated before interrupting the silence. “Um, excuse me?”

The red-head lifted his face enough to see Rei, then, suddenly bolted fully upright. “Hey, you’re that kid in my stat class! The one the prof always calls on. Ryugazaki, right?”

Rei blushed, recognizing the boy as one of the students who sat near the back. “Yeah, that sounds about right…”

“Great! Rin Matsuoka. Do you think you can help me with this?”

“Oh. Sure. Which part?”

Rin looked back at the book, then at his blank notebook. “All of it.”

………

Rei was always one of the last students to leave the classroom. While most of his classmates just threw their stuff into their bags on the way out, Rei kept everything organized. _If they took the extra moment now to put their pencil in a case, perhaps it wouldn’t take them ten minutes to find it next time_ , he often thought. Not that anyone asked him.

“Hey, Ryugazaki!” Rin was waiting outside for him, as usual. He had been leaning against the wall outside the door, and pushed off it so he could walk with Rei. Rei might not admit it, but he really appreciated the fact that Matsuoka always waited for him after class, even if just to say “hi” or schedule another study session. He knew Rin had other friends—he often saw him chatting and laughing with other students around campus. Rei, on the other hand, had had some trouble getting close to his classmates.

Rin handed Rei a stapled packet of papers, which Rei recognized as the homework they just got back. “Check it out—100%.” He grinned. “See, I even did the last two problems without your help.”

 _It appears that my efforts this past week have been fruitful after all_ , Rei thought with a smile as he adjusted his glasses. Something about Rin’s grin made it impossible for Rei to keep a straight face. “Good job,” he complimented handing back the papers. “Now you just have to do it on the test.”

Rin frowned for a second, then responded with a smirk, “Guess we just have to study some more. What are you up to tonight?”

 _I was actually going to study_ , Rei thought, but didn’t say. It was a Thursday, and he knew most of his classmates spent Thursdays dancing and drinking, even the ones who had Friday classes. “Don’t you have any plans?”

“Nope, I’m completely open. You?” Rei shook his head, causing Rin’s smirk to return to a full-on grin. “Great. But I am starving.” He slung an arm over Rei’s shoulders. “Let’s grab some snacks and head back to my place. You can explain all those Greek letters again.”

………

“So then sigma equals…”

“Wait, I thought that one was sigma.”

“That’s a capital sigma. This is lowercase.”

“I give up!” Rin announced, pushing himself away from the table and standing. “Time for a study break.”

Rei sighed. Having studied with Rin nearly every day for the past week, he was used to Rin’s outbursts whenever something frustrated him. “But we’ve only been working for fifteen minutes.”

Rin had already picked up the remote. “Relax, Ryugazaki.” Rin paused and turned back to Rei. “Hey, you got a first name?”

“Rei,” he responded.

“Rei Ryugazaki. Alright,” Rin nodded. “Anyway, I have until Tuesday to learn this stuff. What are you, a first year?”

“Well, yes.”

“Seriously?” Rin looked over Rei appraisingly. “Well, take it from me, study breaks are important. And so is Netflix.” Rin flopped onto the couch, motioning for Rei to join him.

Rei hesitated before following. The couch was a bit… cozy. He had quickly learned that Rin had no problems with skin contact—constantly throwing his arm over his shoulder when they walked, slapping his back or high-fiving when he got a question right, and even the occasional quick hug of gratitude—but snuggling up to him on the couch seemed a bit much. _Sitting, not snuggling_ , Rei reminded himself. “What year are you, Matsuoka-san?”

“Sophomore,” Rin replied, scrolling through the list of recommended movies and shows. “And it’s ‘Rin.’”

“So you’re just a year older…”

“What is this shit?” Rin motioned at the screen, swinging his head around to face Rei. “Never give your sister your password.”

Rei couldn’t help but notice how close their faces were. Sure, they had been physically close before, but never really face to face. “Thanks, but I don’t have a sister.”

“Hmm.” Rin responded, choosing to look at Rei rather than the screen. “Your eyes are purple. Is that natural?”

 _No, I wear contacts with my glasses_ , Rei thought. “Yes. It’s genetic.”

“Huh,” Rei commented. He pulled back a bit to get a better look at the younger boy, his eyes moving up and down his body. “You know, Rei, you’re pretty good looking.”

“What? Uh, thanks,” Rei answered, adjusting his glasses to cover his blush. _Play it cool, Rei_ , he told himself. _It’s just an observation. Don’t read too much into it. I’m sure all college boys say these things. Maybe_.

“Do you always wear these glasses?” Rin said, reaching over to touch the frames.

Rei swallowed, resisting the urge to flee. “I need them to see.” _Don’t panic. Just breathe._

Rin nodded. “Ok. I can work with that.” He withdrew his hand and leaned back. “So, Ryugazaki, how would you like a job?”

“I—what?” _Is this some weird flirting technique? Wait, was this flirting? Did I want flirting?_

“I work at a host club. A couple guys just quit, so we’re looking to hire some new hosts.”

Rei blinked. “You’re a host?”

Rin turned back to the screen, scrolling intently through his film options, his cheeks slightly red. “The pay’s pretty good, and all you have to do is talk with girls. So, are you interested?”

“I’m not sure.”

“We could really use the help.” Rin turned back towards Rei with a pleading look in his eyes.

 _I have been looking for a part time job_. “… Okay.”

“Really? That’s great.” Rin threw his arms around Rei, pulling him into a hug. “Thanks, man.” Then, as suddenly as he hugged Rei, he pulled back, purposefully avoiding eye contact with the other boy as he returned his gaze to the TV. “So, um, can you start tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

“Cool.” Rin turned on some show, but Rei was too preoccupied by the recent conversation to pay any attention.  _So now I’m a host… and I’ll be spending even more time with Matsuoka. This could be interesting_.

………

Rin hung up his cell. “Shit.” He and Rei were sitting in the back room before their shifts at the club. It had been two weeks since Rei started, and, as expected, it had resulted in Rei and Rin spending even more time together than their regular study sessions.

“Something wrong, Rin-san?” Rei asked.

“It’s my sister. She’s sick.”

“Is it serious?” Rei looked up from his textbook, putting down his highlighter. Between his full course load and part time job, he needed all the time he could find to study. 

Rin rolled his eyes. “Not really, but she needs me to go pick her up some meds. But I have an appointment at 8:00.”

Rei glanced at his watch: ten till. “Can you go after?”

“Not if I want to get there before the store closes,” Rin sighed. “Hey, you aren’t booked tonight, right? Do you think you can cover for me? I promise I won’t be more than ten minutes late—fifteen tops.”

“Of course.”

“Thanks, man.” Rin grabbed his coat on his way to his door. “All the information you need is on the desk. It’s Nagisa Hazuki. I owe you one.”

Rei slipped his bookmark in before closing his book and put it back in his bag. Might as well head out and get ready for this Nagisa Hazuki. He stopped in front of the mirror to check his hair and adjust his tie before going out. Rin had insisted he buy the purple tie (“It matches your eyes!”) but he still worried it was too conspicuous. But, then again, his job required him to draw attention to himself… He allowed himself a sigh before putting on a smile and walking into the club.

He quickly made his way to the entrance. After waiting for a couple minutes, it occurred to him that perhaps he should’ve looked at the information Rin had mentioned. He had no idea what kind of girl Nagisa was. He had just turned to go back when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Hi. Is Rin here?” a short blond boy asked.

“He just stepped out, but he’ll be back soon,” Rei replied. This couldn’t be… could it?

The blond frowned at his watch. “I was sure he said 8:00. Guess I’ll just have to wait here. By the way, I’m Nagisa.”

So this is Nagisa. Rei took a good look. He was wearing black pants, a short-sleeved white button down, and a pink tie. And he’s a man. Alright. Unexpected, but Rei could deal with that. He’s a professional. “Ah, he told me he was expecting you. I’m Rei.”

Nagisa smiled. “Really? That’s a girly name.”

“So’s Nagisa,” Rei replied automatically, then panicked—being rude wasn’t exactly the best way to earn tips.

Luckily, Nagisa just giggled and playfully stuck out his tongue. “Yeah, I guess. So, where is Rin-chan?”

“He just had to run a quick errand. Would you care to sit with me while we wait?”

“Sure.” Nagisa followed Rei to a table, and as soon as he sat he leaned forward, resting his head on his hand. “So, Rei-chan,” ( _-chan?_ Rei bit his tongue), “how long have you worked here?”

“A couple weeks.”

“Oh, you must be the new guy Rin-chan mentioned! You’ve been helping him with math, right?”

“Statistics. Rin talks about me?”

Nagisa grinned at the surprised look on Rei’s face. “You’ve come up,” he explained, eyes traveling up and down his body. “He didn’t mention how handsome you are.”

Rei fought to hide his blush. He had learned to play it cool around most of his customers, but something about Nagisa kept catching him off guard. “So, uh, have you known Rin-san for a while?”

“Oh, Rin-chan and I go way back,” Nagisa answered with a wink.

 _What the hell does that wink mean?_ “Would you like something to drink?” he changed the subject.

“Mmm, perhaps when Rin gets here. When did you say that would be?”

Rei checked his watch. 8:08. “In a few minutes. Are you sure you don’t want anything?”

“Right now I’m more interested in getting to know you.” Nagisa purred.

Rei forced his face to remain calm. “I’m afraid there isn’t much to tell. You already know I’m a student, and that I work here, and that’s pretty much all there is.” Nagisa started to frown. _Better turn on the charm_. “Besides, I would rather learn about you,” He said, leaning forward and looking Nagisa in the eye. “I bet you have some fun stories to tell.”

“Hmm. Well, there was the time Rin-chan stole my pants.”

“What?!”

Nagisa smiled and leaned back. “Yeah, he was angry for some reason, so he took my pants and hid them. If Mako-chan hadn’t intervened, I probably would’ve had to go home without them.”

“That could’ve been awkward.” Rei struggled to keep his smile.

“I guess that’s just what happens when you take your clothes off around Rin-chan. You better watch out.,” Nagisa teased with a wink.

“Our relationship isn’t like that!” Rei exclaimed, losing his cool demeanor.

Nagisa laughed. “Oh? Then who do you take your clothes off around?”

“Nobody!” Any semblance of calm Rei had left vanished. “I-I mean…”

“You mean you’re single?” Nagisa smiled.

Suddenly Rin came running up. “Nagisa, Rei. Sorry I’m late.”

“RinRin! Where were you?” Nagisa hugged him, nuzzling his face into the other boy’s shoulder.

Rin patted him on the head and Nagisa pulled away. “Gou is sick. What did I miss?”

“Nagisa-kun was just telling me about the time you stole his pants?”

“That’s because he threw my coat in the pool!”

“You said you were cold.”

Rin shook his head. Arguing with Nagisa never got him anywhere. “Anyway, how’s the paperwork coming...” Rin looked down at the empty table.

Rei blinked. “Paperwork?”

“For his job. I told you everything is on the desk.”

Rei stared at Rin, then at Nagisa, then back at Rin. “This was a hiring appointment.”

Nagisa giggled. “Of course. What else would it be?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Oh my God, Rei, did you think he was a customer?” Rin laughed. “Nagisa why didn’t you tell him?”

“And miss this look on Rei-chan’s face?”

Rei turned away, aware of the fact that his face was about as red as his glasses frames. “I’ll go grab the papers,” he mumbled and left.

Nagisa grinned as he watched Rei leave. “This is going to be fun.”

“Take it easy on him.”

“What does that mean?” Nagisa stared at Rin wide-eyed.

Rin shook his head. That innocent look didn’t work on him. “Just play nice.”

“I’m always nice.” They stared at each other until they both ended up grinning. _Nagisa’s right—this will be fun_ , Rin thought. _As long as he doesn’t scare Rei off first_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I started this ages ago but finally have the first chapter up! Chapter 2 should be up next week. And it's my birthday, so you have to be nice to me :)
> 
> Thanks to Xyliandra for the beta


	2. Nagisa's Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa invites Rei over for some after-work fun. Written for Reigisa week day 2 "drinks." (But there will be more Rin in the future)

It had been over a week and Rei still hadn’t made a move, and Nagisa was getting impatient. He was sure Rei was interested, if his stares were anything to go by (and his blushing and fidgeting whenever he was caught staring). And it’s not like Nagisa was being subtle, either—touching him every moment he got, asking him to hang out every day, texting him constantly. Surely Rei could notice Nagisa spent more time with him than with his other friends, right?

Nagisa has to do everything himself. “Hey, Rei-chan! What are you doing tomorrow?” Nagisa asked as they both got off one Friday night. Nagisa kept bribing his coworkers to make sure he had the same schedule as Rei.

“Just some studying. Nothing exciting,” Rei yawned.

“So, in other words, you’re free tonight,” Nagisa grinned, leaning over to bump shoulders. “Wanna grab a drink?”

Rei rolled his eyes. “I’m only 18, Nagisa-kun.”

“And, what, you’ve never had a drink?” Nagisa raised his eyebrows. He smiled as Rei adjusted his glasses, a habit Nagisa knew was mostly to cover the red rising to his cheeks. _Wait, has he really never drank? How cute_. “Come on, I have some booze back at my apartment.”

“I really should head home.”

“One drink,” Nagisa pleaded.

“Nagisa-kun…”

“Please, Rei chan…” Nagisa bit his lip as he stared up at Rei through his lashes.

Rei’s eyes widened momentarily before he looked away. “Okay.”

Nagisa grinned. _Victory_.

………

“Ai-chan is probably asleep, so be quiet, ok?” Nagisa whispered as he unlocked the door.

Rei just nodded. Nagisa was the one who had been talking and laughing the whole way there, but he didn’t feel like pointing that out. Nagisa closed and locked the door behind them after they were both inside, then motioned for Rei to follow him. He guided Rei to the kitchen, flicked on the lights, opened the freezer, and whispered, “What would you like to drink, Rei-chan? I have rum and vodka.”

Rei hesitated. The only alcohol he had ever had was sips of his parents wine. He was about to ask for a glass of water when Nagisa suddenly remarked, “Oh, I know.” He handed Rei a couple cups, then grabbing some bottles and led Rei towards his room. Once he closed the door behind him, he set the bottles on his desk and took back the cups Rei had carried. He poured some red drink into each glass, followed by what looked like a fair amount of a clear liquid, swirled the glasses, then handed one to Rei. “There you go! A strawberry daqui- _rei_!” Nagisa grinned at his own joke before taking a large swallow from his cup, then looked at Rei expectantly.

Rei took a significantly smaller sip. He let the drink rest on his tongue for a bit before swallowing. A bit sweeter than he expected, but not bad. He felt a slight burn in his throat that he assumed was the rum. He noticed Nagisa was still watching him. “It’s good.”

Nagisa grinned. “Yay! Sit, sit,” he added, dropping to the sit on the floor. “Tell me about yourself.”

Rei obeyed. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything! What do you do when you’re not at the club?” Nagisa leaned towards Rei, holding his glass to his lips.

“I’m studying at the university.” Rei took a sip, not sure what else to add.

Luckily, Nagisa was more than capable of keeping up the conversation for both of them. “Oh, I’m a student, too. I’m studying history, so I can be a history teacher. What about you?”

“Chemistry, but right now I’m focusing on general requirements.”

“Then you can help me when I have to take science, right?” Nagisa asked with a wink, then threw back his head to finish off his drink. “I’m ready for another. How about you, Rei-chan?”

“Not quite yet,” Rei replied, taking another small sip.

“Do you not like it? Do you want something else?” Nagisa asked while pouring himself another drink.

“No, no, it’s really good.” To emphasize his point, Rei took a large gulp.

“Oh, good. So, are you a first year as well?”

“Wha—yes.” Rei looked at his drink. “How old are you?”

“Eighteen. My sister Nanako bought the rum. But don’t tell my other sisters I drink, or they’ll kill me, got it?” Nagisa raised one finger to his lips. Rei nodded and took another sip. Nagisa watched him finish the drink, and quickly filled the glass back up before Rei could protest.

“Nagisa-kun, I really should go.”

“Just a bit longer! You still haven’t told me what class you’re taking with Rin-chan.” Keeping Rei talking would take more work than he thought.

“Statistics. I helped him with some homework.”

“I wish I could take a class with RinRin. We met in elementary school, but he’s a year older. I was in class with his sister.”

“Oh?” Rei wasn’t sure what to say, so he just took another sip.

“He was in class with Mako-chan and Haru-chan. You should meet them sometime. They go here, too.” Nagisa took a breath. Might as well get to the reason he invited Rei over. “Do you like Rin-chan?”

Rei choked. “I—I mean, Rin-san is…” Rei trailed off, fiddling with his glasses.

Nagisa smiled. His intuition was right.  “You know, I’ve had a crush on him for the longest time.”

“Wh-what?” Rei stared at Nagisa.

Nagisa shrugged nonchalantly. “But he still just sees me like a little kid. He sure doesn’t look at me like he looks at you.” Rei’s eyes widened. “It’s too bad. Isn’t he handsome?” Nagisa leaned in slightly.

Rei looked away, his whole face bright red. “Yes, he is qu-quite attractive…”

“So, you do like him?” Nagisa prompted.

Rei took a deep breath. “You could say that.” He quickly finished his drink, which Nagisa promptly refilled (with more rum than before).

Nagisa leaned back—now comes the hard part. _Play it cool, Nagi-chan_. “You’re so cute when you blush. I can see why Rin likes you. I know I do.”

Rei’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “You what?”

“I said I like you.” He giggled when Rei nervously drank his drink. “It’s fine if you don’t like me back. We can still be friends, and I won’t stand between you and Rin. I just thought there might be something here, and I wanted to get it out in the open.” Nagisa leaned in. “So, what do you think? Do you like me?”

Rei finally turned back to face Nagisa fully. He wanted to tell him that he _did_ like him; that there _was_ something there. But as soon as their eyes met, all the words went out of his head. He couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol, or Nagisa’s intoxicating gaze, or his cute pout, but without speaking he closed the distance and kissed Nagisa.

Nagisa barely had time to relax into the kiss before Rei pulled away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—I’m sorry. That was… that was…”

“I liked it.” Nagisa interrupted.

“I should go,” Rei threw back the rest of his drink and stood up too fast, causing him to stumble into the desk.

“Rei-chan, are you alright?” Nagisa jumped up next to him.

“Sorry, just stood a bit too quickly,” Rei explained, leaning on the desk and waiting for the light-headed feeling to go away.

“Do you need to sit back down? You don’t look too good.” Nagisa placed a hand on Rei’s shoulder.

“I’m fine. I just need a moment.” The blood was returning to his head, but the floor still seemed oddly unstable, and his stomach was unhappy with the way the walls moved.

“I’m not sure you should go home alone.”

“Nagisa-kun, really, I’m ok.” And, of course, that was the moment that his stomach betrayed him, and he vomited.

“Yeah, you aren’t going anywhere,” Nagisa shook his head. Well, at least now he knew how much alcohol Rei could handle. He hadn’t expected he would be _that_ much of a lightweight.

“Sorry…”

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” He wrapped one arm around Rei and pulled him along to the bathroom. He sat him on the floor next to the toilet. “Rei-chan, are you ok? Do you think you’re going to throw up again?”

Rei shook his head. “Don’t think there’s much left.”

“That’s good. I’m going to get you some water. You just sit here.” He left and soon returned with a full glass of water. “Here, drink this.”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes,” Nagisa insisted, pushing the cup at him, but Rei just shook his head. _Oh, God, don’t be an annoying drunk_. He sat down next to Rei. “Please, Rei-chan?” he pleaded, placing a hand on Rei’s face to force him to make eye contact. Rei looked at him for a moment before nodding and taking the cup. Nagisa smirked. _That was easy enough_. Then he took a look at Rei’s clothes. “Finish that. I’m going to get you something clean to wear.”

Nagisa rifled through his drawers, trying to find something that would fit the taller man. Of course, he would rather just let him sleep in his underwear, but didn’t feel like pushing his luck that far. He finally settled on an oversized white t-shirt and contemplated a pair of short-shorts before settling on his longest shorts with a sigh. _Maybe next time…_ He returned to the bathroom to find Rei slowly finishing off the water. Nagisa dropped the clothes next to him.

“I’m sorry, Nagisa-kun.”

“Don’t worry about it. Now put these on so I can wash your clothes.” Nagisa fought the urge to stay and watch him change. He needed to clean the carpet before it stained. “I’ll be back soon.” He grabbed some carpet cleaner and paper towels from the kitchen. Luckily, Rei’s clothes had borne the brunt of the attack, so there wasn’t much too clean. After tossing the paper towels, he stripped off his work clothes, threw them in the hamper, and pulled on a pair of shorts. He stopped by the kitchen to put away the rum and juice before returning to check on Rei, who had fallen asleep against the wall after changing into the clothes Nagisa had provided.

Nagisa shook him awake. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Rei just nodded. Nagisa dragged him to his room and tucked him into bed, making sure he was on his side in case he threw up again, and put his glasses on the nightstand. Rei immediately fell back to sleep, leaving Nagisa free to get started on washing Rei’s clothes. Once he had gotten out the worst of the stain and put them in the washer (gentle cycle), Nagisa grabbed a spare pillow from the coach, got out his sleeping bag, and slept on the other side of the room.

………

Rei woke up the next morning with a terrible headache and a need to urinate. Opening his eyes, he tried to recall last night. He was drinking with Nagisa, and Nagisa had said he liked him… And now he was in bed wearing new clothes. He found his glasses on the nightstand next to him.

As he was working on sitting up Nagisa walked in. He was wearing light blue short-shorts and nothing else. Rei made out what appeared to be the head of a penguin sticking out above the waistband. “Oh, good, you’re up. I was about to make some breakfast.” He noticed Rei’s stare, and pulled down the side of his shorts to reveal a penguin on his hip. “Do you like it? I got it on my birthday. My parents had a fit, but it’s not like they could make it go away.” Nagisa smiled.

Rei tore his eyes away from Nagisa’s hips. “What happened last night? Why am I wearing these? Did we…” Rei trailed off.

Nagisa was tempted to let Rei come to his own conclusion, but figured he had suffered enough. “We kissed. Then you threw up. That kind of killed the mood. Your clothes are hanging up to dry.”

“So we didn’t… copulate?”

_Copulate? Really?_ “Do you really think I would fuck you when you’re too drunk to consent? No, we didn’t _copulate_.”

“Oh. Good.”

“Trust me—if we do have sex, I’ll make sure you remember it.”

That was enough to get Rei standing. “I need to use the facilities.”

Nagisa rolled his eyes. “First door on the left,” he said, gesturing and moving to his closet to find a shirt. _Why am I so attracted to this nerd?_ He wondered, sparing a glance at Rei’s ass as he left.


	3. Study Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa and Rei officially start dating.

Nagisa slid on a pink tank and headed to the kitchen. He had considered cooking topless, but had a bad habit of burning himself when he tried. But at least he had already shown off his tattoo, which had the desired effect of making Rei focus on his hips. Smiling to himself, he pulled a pan out of the cupboard and turned on the stove. He was far from a whiz in the kitchen, but he could pull off bacon and scrambled eggs. He set the music player on his phone to play his favorite pop mix while waiting for the pan to warm up. He rocked gently to the beat and threw a few slices of bacon into the pan.

The song was reaching its climax when he heard Rei stumble in. He pretended not to hear him, instead flipping the bacon and shaking his ass to the music.

“Nagisa-kun, could you turn it down?”

“Of course, Rei-chan!” Nagisa answered, hitting pause and turning to face Rei. Rei was sitting at the table with his head in his hands. Giggling, Nagisa fetched a glass of water from above the sink and filled it with water. “First hangover?”

Rei grunted, accepting the glass. Nagisa continued to dance slightly to the song in his head while transferring the finished bacon to plates. He popped a couple pieces of bread into the toaster and scrambled some eggs. Once those were done, he split the food between two plates, pulled two forks out of the draw, and placed the plates on the table. “Breakfast is served,” Nagisa announced, offering Rei a fork.

“I’m not really hungry,” Rei grumbled.

“You’ll feel better once you eat,” Nagisa assured him. Smiling, he started eating while watching Rei.

When they finished, Nagisa washed both plates and set them to dry, and put the now cooled off pan in the sink to soak. “Your suit is probably dry by now if you want to change. Of course, you’re welcome to borrow any of my clothes if you feel your suit is a little too walk-of-shame-y, but I’m not sure what I have that fits.”

“My suit will be fine.” While the food had improved Rei’s strength, it had done nothing to erase his embarrassment. He avoided Nagisa’s eyes as he followed him to the laundry room to get his clothing. He was about to enter the bathroom to change when Nagisa grabbed his arm.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed, Rei,” Nagisa said, purposefully leaving off the “-chan.” He forced Rei to look him in the eye. “You had a bit too much to drink. It happens. Next time you’ll be more careful.”

“Thank you, Nagisa-kun.”

Nagisa waited for Rei to change so he could walk him to the door. He made Rei double check that he had his phone and his wallet. He was about to leave when Nagisa made him wait. “I don’t know how much of last night you remember, but I told you I like you,” Nagisa said, playing shy, looking at Rei’s chest to avoid his eyes. “You didn’t say it back, but you kissed me so I thought maybe you felt the same way. It’s ok if you don’t! I just… wanted to know.”

“I do like you,” Rei answered.

 _Yesss_ , Nagisa thought. He tried not to appear too relieved, choosing to instead gaze shyly up at Rei threw his eyelashes. “So would you like to maybe go a date sometime? Like, say, a movie tomorrow night?”

Rei smiled. “Sure, that sounds great.”

Nagisa smiled. Everything was working out perfectly. He sensed he had to move slow, but couldn’t stop himself from taking one more chance. “Now that you’re sober, how about a kiss good bye?”

“I—I guess…”

Before Rei could properly prepare Nagisa jumped to his toes and placed a brief kiss on Rei’s lips. Nagisa grinned up at the blushing boy. “I’ll look at show times and text you later. Bye-bye, Rei-chan!”

.........

Rin had taken to sitting next to Rei during statistics. When class ended he slipped his notebook into his bag while he waited for Rei to finish putting everything away. They regularly studied together after class on Monday.

As they walked out of the classroom together, Rin heard a familiar voice. “Rei-chan!” Nagisa threw himself at Rei’s chest, wrapping his arms around the taller boy and placing a quick kiss on his cheek. Rin stared—he was used to Nagisa being overly affectionate, but a kiss was a bit much, even for him. And the weirder part was that Rei didn’t seem to mind. “My afternoon lecture got cancelled so I thought we could catch an earlier movie.” He smiled at Rin. “Hi, Rin-chan,” he added with a wink.

“I have plans to study with Rin right now, Nagisa-kun,” Rei explained.

“Oh, ok! I’ll study with you.”

“You aren’t even in our class,” Rei responded.

“I have a book with me. I’ll be super quiet. Rin-chan doesn’t mind, right?” Nagisa turned to face Rin, pleading.

Rin didn’t see any harm in it. Besides, who could say no to those eyes? “Yeah, it’s cool.”

“Yay!” Nagisa cheered. He situated himself between Rin and Rei, clinging to Rei’s side. “Let’s go study. And they you can come to the movie with us. It’ll be super fun.”

………

True to his word, Nagisa was quiet while they studied. But that didn’t mean Rin and Rei didn’t notice him. He smiled to himself as he read through his textbook, underlining here and writing notes there. After a while, he started resting his head against Rei. At first Rei would push him away, and Nagisa would sit back up. But after a couple rounds of this and a pout from Nagisa, Rei just accepted it, and did his work with Nagisa leaning against his left side.

And then there was one time Rin caught Nagisa watching him. He had been watching Rei work a problem when he glanced over, expecting to see Nagisa focused on his text, but instead he was staring at Rin. And he didn’t seem at all concerned about Rin catching him—he just smiled, as if he had planned for this to happen. Rin refused to back down, matching Nagisa’s gaze. After a tense moment the blond grinned and winked, nuzzling Rei’s shoulder and turning his eyes back to his book.

“I need to use the restroom,” Nagisa said.

“It’s that way, first—”

“Room with the toilet—got it,” Nagisa cut Rin off, heading in the direction Rin had pointed.

“Well, you two are getting pretty close,” Rin said once Nagisa had left.

“Yes,” Rei said, adjusting his glasses. “I… spent the night with him on Saturday.”

“Whoa, Rei.” Rin had not been expecting that answer. Yeah, the chemistry between those two had become pretty obvious to him (and Rin would be lying to say he didn’t feel slightly jealous) but _holy shit_.

“We just—”

“I don’t need the details.”

“We just slept.”

Rin raised an eyebrow. “Of course you did.”

“It’s true!”

“You must’ve done something right, to have that boy all over you still.” Rin smirked.

“We did kiss, but that is all.”

“You’re serious?” Rei nodded. Rin felt slightly relieved, followed by a pang of guilt. They were clearly into each other. He should want his friends to get laid, right? _Things would get awkward if it went wrong_ , he told himself. _That’s why I’m happy_.

He was still convincing himself of this while Rei took great interest in cleaning his glasses when Nagisa returned. “This soap is great. Rei-chan, smell my hands.” Before Rei could protest he wrapped his arms around Rei and stuck his hands in his face, resting his chin on Rei’s shoulder.

“Nagisa-kun!”

“Come on! It smells like cherry blossoms. Good choice, Rin-chan.” Rei rolled his eyes but took a sniff anyway. Rin had to bite his lip to stop from laughing. “So, how’s the studying going?” Nagisa asked, letting his hands fall from Rei’s face and glide down and across Rei’s chest, watching Rin’s face as he did so.

“Nagisa-kun, please.” Rei squirmed and pushed the hands away from his abdomen. Unphased, Nagisa stood back up, hands on Rei’s shoulders and eyes on Rin.

“I think I’ve studied enough for today. I’m losing focus,” Rin answered, tearing his eyes from Nagisa.

“Yay! Then we can start our date.” Nagisa bounced to wear he had been sitting before, closing his book and tossing it in his bag. Rei took more care putting his books away. “We can drop our bags off at my place and still have time to grab some food before the movie. Rin-chan, do you want to come?”

Rin rolled his eyes. “It won’t be much of a date with me there.”

“Please, it’s just our first date. And it’s a Monday. It’s not like anything super exciting will happen… Unless Rei-chan insists.”

“I will not!”

“Jeez, you don’t have to reject me that hard!” Nagisa giggled. Rei started to protest, but Nagisa ignored him. “You sure you don’t want to come?”

“I’ll pass. You two have fun,” Rin answered.

Nagisa shrugged. “Whatever you say, RinRin. See ya!” Nagisa grabbed Rei’s hand, entwining their fingers as they left. Rin closed the door behind them with a sigh. Staring at him, inviting him on their date… What the hell was Nagisa up to?

………

After dropping off their bags, Rei finally asked. “Nagisa-kun, this is a real date, right?”

Nagisa looked up, confused. “I thought so.”

“Then why did you invite Rin-san along?”

“I thought it would be fun,” he shrugged. “You like him, right?”

“I like _you_ , Nagisa-kun,” Rei said, stopping and grabbing Nagisa’s hand.

Nagisa smiled. “That’s so sweet, Rei-chan,” Nagisa responded, squeezing Rei’s hand. “But, you know, you’re allowed to like more than one person,” he added, turning and dragging Rei along with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting somewhere! Let's see if I can get the next chapter done in time for tomorrow's rare-pairs prompt. Or I guess it's actually today orz


	4. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei meets Kou, Makoto, and Haru.

Over the next couple weeks Rei and Nagisa were pretty much inseparable. They ate together, walked to and from work together, and even spent most nights together. Nagisa became a constant presence at Rei and Rin’s study sessions. It’s not that Rin had a problem with them dating—in fact, he was happy for them. Nagisa was even more upbeat and smiley than usual, and it was a genuine happiness, not the fake smile he sometimes used. And Rei became much more outgoing and carefree.

He ignored any jealousy he might feel towards either of his friends. Which would be a whole lot easier to do if they didn’t constantly make him their third wheel. Yeah, they studied together, and a lot of their shifts at the club overlapped. And, ok, grabbing dinner together after studying or a snack on the way to work now and then was no big deal. But they invited him to _everything_.

“Rin-chan, do you want to come to the movies with us?”

“Nagisa-kun and I are going to the museum. Would you like to join?”

“RinRin, come over! We’re making cookies!”

No, Rin wasn’t jealous. He couldn’t be; he had no right. But he was fucking annoyed.

………

"I'm looking for Rei Ryuugazaki." The girl speaking had long red hair pulled back into a braid, and looked to be about Rei's age. It was still pretty early, and a Thursday, so the club was mostly empty.

"Yes, how may I--" Rei began, only to be interrupted by Nagisa flinging his arms around the girl. Nagisa was supposed to have the night off, but showed up anyway as a customer.

"Gou-chan, what are you doing? Let’s go sit down.” Nagisa kissed her cheek and led her through the club to a table, continuing, "It's a bit late to win me back. I'm with Rei-chan now. Rei-chan, this is RinRin's sister. I told you we went to high school together. We dated, until she broke my heart," Nagisa explained with a pout. Rei remembered Nagisa telling him about Gou. She actually went to school a town over, but they still hung out. He could see the resemblance between Gou and her brother—along with the matching hair, they had the same red eyes, and the same sigh in response to Nagisa's antics.

"Is that the story you're telling people?"

"What story should I tell people?" Nagisa asked, eyes wide in feigned innocence.

"It was mutual and you know it."

"I told you that to protect my dignity. I didn’t want you to see my pain." Nagisa wiped away invisible tears.

Gou rolled her eyes before returning her gaze to Rei. "So you're the Rei-kun I've heard so much about?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Gou-san," Rei responded, extending his hand.

"It's Kou."

"I'm sorry, I thought..."

"You thought wrong," she said, turning back to Nagisa. "Makoto told me you wanted us to meet Rei."

"And it looks like they're here. Mako-chan, Haru-chan!" Nagisa called, waving at a pair of boys standing around the entrance. The taller of the two saw him first and waved back, nudging the other. When they reached the table Nagisa bounced up to give them both a hug. “Guys, this is Rei-chan.”

“Hi, Rei. I’m Makoto Tachibana,” the taller boy held out his hand, and Rei stood to shake it, bowing his head. Makoto had brown hair, broad shoulders, and a calm voice. “This is Haruka Nanase.” Haruka had black hair and blue eyes.

“Hello,” he said. He took Rei’s hand, briefly making eye contact. Makoto watched them shake hands with a smile.

“Rei Ryuugazaki. Nagisa tells me you went to the same high school?” Rei asked as he sat back down.

“Yup, Iwatobi,” Nagisa answered before either of them could say anything. “We were in the swim club. They started dating their third year.”

“To nobody’s surprise,” Kou added.

Haruka nodded as Makoto spoke. “Yeah. Our second anniversary was last month, actually. How did you two meet?”

“Here, at the club,” Rei answered.

“Rei was just so smooth and charming—he swept me right off my feet.” Nagisa grinned and wrapped his arms around Rei’s arm.

“Is that so?” Kou raised an eyebrow. Rei felt very uncomfortable as she and Haruka stared at him. He could feel a blush forming as he remembered his first meeting with Nagisa.

Adjusting his glasses, he answered, “Nagisa does tend toward hyperbole at times.”

Kou chuckled. “No shit,” she agreed. Haruka nodded and smiled. He exchanged a look with Makoto, who apparently agreed with whatever unvoiced thought Haruka shared with him judging by the way he nodded before turning back to Rei.

………

When Rin returned to the club room from the back he immediately noticed Rei and Nagisa sitting together. He couldn’t see the faces of the other people at the table, but from the back of their head he immediate recognized his sister, Haru, and Makoto. They seemed to be having a good time. He was ready to pretend he didn’t see them when Nagisa spotted him and called him over. Nagisa scooted over so Rin could fit in the booth next to him before leaning his head against Rin’s shoulder. “Hey, RinRin. Look who’s here! It’s like a mini reunion! Plus Rei-chan. Sorry, Rei-chan.”

Rin and Makoto nodded at each other. It had been a couple months since they last saw each other. “How are you doing?” Haru asked.

“Not bad,” Rin answered noncommittally. Haru looked unsatisfied, but Rin avoided his gaze. Now was not the time. “So, you’ve been together two years now?”

“Last month,” Makoto confirmed.

“Yeah.” Rin just looked at Makoto and Haru. Of course he remembered their anniversary. He had been there when they made their relationship official; the three of them had been best friends. So much had happened since then. He tried not to think about it. He could feel Nagisa and Gou staring at him. Time to move on. “Gou,” he said, turning to his sister. “What’s my baby sister doing in a club like this? Don’t you have class in the morning?”

“I could ask you the same thing, _onii-chan_ ,” she responded.

“My first class isn’t until eleven.”

“Mine’s at noon,” she snapped back.

“Fine, I won’t tell mom this time.”

Gou rolled her eyes. “Wow, thanks. I won’t tell her where her precious son is working.”

“Shut up,” Rin responded. “I should go check on the other customers. Rei can take care of you all.” Nagisa pouted but untangled his arms from around Rin. “Haru, Makoto, see ya.”

………

Haru, Makoto, and Gou didn’t stay long after that. Nagisa let Rei host other guests. He said hi to his other coworkers before he popped over to the café down the street for a sweet treat and to read and while he waited for Rei to get off work.

Nagisa took Rei’s hand as they walked back toward campus. “They like you, Rei-chan. Like I knew they would.”

“I’m glad I got their approval, but next time I could use a little warning.”

Nagisa giggled. “Fine, Rei-chan.”

“Does Rin get along with Makoto and Haruka?”

Nagisa frowned. He and Gou had agreed they were acting odd, and even Rei noticed, and he didn’t even know them. “I don’t know what that was about,” he answered. “They were super close growing up. Closer than I was to any of them. But I guess they started to drift apart since coming to college.”

“That sometimes happens.”

“Yeah, I guess. But it’s still sad.” Nagisa felt Rei squeeze his hand, so he squeezed it back, plastering a smile to his face. He had suspected something was off when he joined them at the university and he never saw them hang out, but he had assumed they were just busy, like how he and Gou rarely actually saw each other and just texted instead. But tonight they barely said a word to each other. Had something happened? Or was this just part of growing up that he would have to accept? He didn’t like it.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan on posting the next chapter during [Rinreigisa Week](http://rinreigisaweek.tumblr.com/). (Ya'll should participate *hinthint*)


	5. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this chapter about 70% done for over a year and have no excuse.

“How’d the test go?” Nagisa asked as soon as Rin closed the classroom door behind him.

“Okay, I think. Rei is still working on it. Probably triple-checking his answers.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him,” Nagisa said, grinning. “Hey, are you free tonight? Want to watch a movie when Rei’s done?”

Rin rolled his eyes. Did Nagisa have to invite him to all his dates? “I think I’ve crashed enough of your dates. Don’t you two want any time alone?” He leaned against the wall, prepared for Nagisa to ignore his protest. That boy was nothing if not persistent. 

“Oh, please. We spend plenty of time alone,” Nagisa answered with a wink as he moved to stand next to Rin. “I like spending time with you. We both do.” 

“What movie?”

“Your choice,” Nagisa replied and let his head fall against Rin’s shoulder. Rin couldn’t decide whether to push Nagisa away to prevent any misunderstandings when Rei came out or to lean his cheek against the soft blond hair tickling his chin, so he settled on standing perfectly still as they waited. 

Rei didn’t even blink when he found the two of them; Nagisa had already started to doze off. 

………

Nagisa didn’t pay any attention to the movie. It was some superhero movie he had already seen. He had offered plenty of romantic options, but Rin claimed he had no interest in cutesy films. Nagisa knew it was a lie, but if Rin wanted to keep up his cool persona in front of Rei, whatever. He sat quietly on Rei’s couch between the two of them. Rei complained about the sub-par special effects and unrealistic fight scenes while Rin kept telling him to quiet down and just enjoy the movie. Halfway through the film Nagisa pulled his feet up and twisted to rest his legs on Rei’s lap, causing him to totally-not-on-purpose lean against Rin. Rin stiffened slightly at first but soon relaxed and continued to explain to Rei why the romantic subplot was vital to understanding the lead character.

As the credits started Nagisa stretched, making sure to bare his neck right in front of Rin’s face as he rotated his head, and excused himself to get a drink, leaving them to argue over the ending. He downed a glass of water, then leaned against the kitchen counter. “You got this,” he whispered to himself. He was going to tell Rin about his and Rei’s feelings toward Rin. Rei was already aware of the plan. There was no backing down now.

He returned just in time for the post credits scene. He crossed around the couch and plopped him self into Rin’s lap, feet again finding their way to Rei’s lap, and buried his face against Rin’s neck. His arms loosely wrapped around Rin’s shoulders. That quickly ended their argument over whether or not the lead actor was the right choice. 

“Whoa! Wrong man,” Rin said, gently pushing at Nagisa’s shoulders. Nagisa made a show of leaning back to study Rin’s face. 

“Nope, you're definitely Rin-chan.”

“Right,  _ Rin _ . You want  _ Rei _ .”

“Why would I want Rei-chan?” Nagisa asked, trailing one hand down Rin’s arm. 

“Because he's your boyfriend.” Nagisa hummed when his hand reached Rin’s and intertwined their fingers. 

“But Rei-chan doesn't mind,” Nagisa whispered, his face still close to Rin’s. He turned to look at Rei. “Do you, Rei-chan?” Rei’s face was red and he was watching them but refusing to meet either of their eyes. One hand was rubbing Nagisa’s ankle absentmindedly. He shook his head in response to Nagisa’s question, obviously to nervous to speak. Nagisa quickly glanced at Rin to make sure he was also looking at Rei before leaning his head against Rin’s chest. “He's so beautiful, don't you think?” 

He felt Rin shifting under him. “Nagisa, get off me.”

“Don't wanna. I like it here. And so does Rei-chan.” From his position he could hear Rin’s heartbeat, which steadied his nerves. “I like you, RinRin.”

“Nagisa…” Rin trailed off. He continued to watch Rei, who still wasn't meeting his eyes. Nagisa leaned up to plant a soft, brief kiss against Rin’s cheek. It was nothing they hadn't done before; Nagisa was always free with his affection, and sometimes hugs and nuzzles weren't quite enough. But Rei had never seen it, which they both realized when his eyes widened and he took a sharp breath. “Stop it,” Rin said firmly. “I don't know if you're trying to make Rei jealous, or turn him on, or what, but I'm not your guy. Find someone else.”

“Rin!” Screw subtlety. Nagisa grabbed Rin’s face, forcing him to look at him. “This isn't about me and Rei-chan. This is about you. And me. And Rei-chan.” Run narrowed his eyes. Nagisa took a deep breath. Rei’s squeeze on his ankle gave him the strength to go on. I've had a crush on you for--for forever. And I know Rei likes you. And I've seen the way you look at Rei. Especially when you look at Rei with me.” Nagisa took another breath. He should've gotten Rei to help with this part. Or at least rehearsed. “Rin-chan, we want you. Both of us. Together.”  _ Finally _ . That should be clear enough. 

“What the fuck?!” Rin finally put in enough strength to push Nagisa fully off him as he stood up. 

………

Rin couldn't believe he let it get this far. He shouldn't have let Nagisa sit on his lap. No, he shouldn't have come over at all. No, it went back further. He had been practically dating them for weeks. He shouldn’t have spent all that time with them. The moment he noticed Nagisa's and Rei’s obvious attraction he should've backed off or laid claim. 

He could've. If he told Nagisa to back off Rei, he would've. Which is exactly why he didn't. Nagisa stuck with him through everything. Never questioned the times Rin didn't text back. Tolerated his mood swings. Even defended him when one of their other friends got mad. Rin secretly suspected Nagisa came out just to make it easier for him (with Nagisa talking about cute boys all the time, nobody blinked an eye when Rin said he's bi). 

And, fine, fuck it--Rin had a soft spot for Nagisa. It's impossible to stop him from growing on you. His constant smile. His contagious laughter. His body warmth when he hugged you. His soft, strawberry-scented hair and round eyes and full lips. 

Rin couldn’t say no when Nagisa went after Rei. Or when he invited Rin on all their dates. But this was too much. 

………

“What the fuck?” Rin repeated. 

“It's exactly what Nagisa-kun said. We want to go out with you.” Rei stated flatly. 

“And sleep with you,” Nagisa added with a grin. He straightened out his posture so he was actually sitting on the couch, rather than half-on-Rei-half-off from Rin shoving him away. 

“There are better ways to spice up your relationship than a threesome,” Rin said. 

“We aren't asking for a three some to spice up our sex life. It's plenty spicy already, right, Rei-chan?” Nagisa threw his boyfriend a wink. 

Rei cleared his throat. “What we are proposing is a polyamoryous relationship. What that means is--”

Rin cut him off. “Yeah, I know the term. I also know it doesn't work.” 

“According to my research--” 

“I don't give a shit about your research,” Rin spat. He took a deep breath and turned away. He added, “I  _ tried _ .”

For a moment, nobody said anything. But leave it to Nagisa to break the silence. “ _ What?! _ ”

“Last year,” Rin answered. “With Haru and Makoto… Until I got sick of being everyone’s last priority. I can't do it again.”

“Oh.” Nagisa bit his lip to hold back a scream. _Why didn't anyone tell me? Why am I always the last to know?_ The awkwardness between Rin and the others finally made sense. They broke up. Of course that's what happens when relationships end. He stared over at Rei. _Is that going to happen to us?_ _I can't allow that._ “I’m sorry. I should go.”

Rin sighed. “No, stay. I'll leave.” Rin moved for the door but Nagisa cut him off. 

“No, you're staying. You should be with Rei-chan.” 

“Nagisa-kun…” 

“I'm not breaking you two up,” Rin argued. 

“You aren't. I am.” Nagisa blinked in an attempt not to cry. “I saw what was between you two and took it for myself. I'm sorry.”

“Nagisa-kun, what...”

“No, Nagisa. I...”

Nagisa rushed to the door. “Goodbye, Rei-chan,” he called, refusing to look back. He made it to the end of the block before the tears fell, a mix of sadness and anger.


	6. Chapter 6

Rei stared at the door behind Nagisa. Did they just break up?

“Aren't you gonna go after him?” Rei jumped when Rin spoke.

“Should I?”

“Yeah, you're his boyfriend.”

“But we just broke up.”

“Jesus Christ, you are not breaking up over me. Now, let’s go find him.”

“Right.” Rei followed Rin to the door, grabbing his keys along the way. They paused outside. “I don't know where he went.” He looked both ways but there was no sign of Nagisa. He looked to Rin.

“Where does he go when he’s upset?” Rin prompted.

Rei bit his lip. He had never seen Nagisa this upset. Never upset enough to leave. The fact that they met so recently struck him. “We can call his roommate…”

Rin shook his head. “Too far. He wouldn’t be there yet. Besides, Ai is out of town.” _Right_.

“I don’t have Kou’s number...”

“I do.” Rin got up his phone. “I also have… other numbers.” Rei didn’t ask him to explain. He assumed he meant Nagisa’s other friends, and given the recent revelations, he suspected Haru and Makoto were included in that. He watched Rin send a text. Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait long for a reply. Rin’s phone buzzed shortly after putting it back in his pocket. “Fuck. This way.”

Rei followed Rin in silence.

……...

Haru hated answering the door. But he was apparently the only one who heard the bell--Makoto was too busy staring at his hands and apologizing while Nagisa yelled at them because Rin had turned him down because of them and it doesn’t even matter than Rin said no the problem was “how dare you break RinRin’s heart like that” and something about how they should've told him. It was hard to keep up, especially with Nagisa constantly going back to previous points and changing his point midsentence. So Haru got up to answer it himself. Makoto didn’t even notice him leave, while Nagisa yelled at him to hurry back but made no attempt to stop him or even pause his rant.

Rin and Rei were at the door. Rei looked nervous and a little confused and Rin was obviously trying his hardest to look annoyed. Haru rolled his eyes and motioned them inside, closing the door behind them and leading them toward the living area. He left Rin and Rei standing and rejoined Makoto as Nagisa seemed to draw to a close.

“And you never even _told_ me! We were supposed to be friends. At least, I thought so. I didn’t keep any secrets. B-but did you even care? Or w-was I just some little kid who you n-needed to hide this from.” the last sentence came out choked as tears escaped nagisa’s eyes. Haru noticed Makoto look up at Nagisa in his peripheral vision. Haru instead was watching Rin and Rei. Rei was staring at Nagisa with a look of concern mixed with the look of love he always wore around Nagisa (well, based on the one other time Haru had met him). Rin’s annoyed masked had started to crack as the first tear rolled down Nagisa’s face. Each tear seemed to soften Rin’s features. They had spent so little time together since everything went wrong. They might never be the same again, but Haru was determined to make his friend happy. And trusted Nagisa to do that.

“Nagisa, we--I’m sorry,” Makoto said. He clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to decide whether to sit put or to pull Nagisa into a hug.

Nagisa wiped his eyes as he turned to Rin and Rei. He didn’t look at all surprised to see them despite having not acknowledged their arrival at all. “I told you to stay.”

“And I said I’m not going to break you two up,” Rin countered.

“You didn’t! I broke up with Rei-chan.”

“Nagisa-kun, I don’t want to break up,” Rei said, reaching to hold Nagisa hand.

“Nobody likes breaking up, but it’s too late, Rei-chan. Now you and Rin-chan can be together.” Nagisa dropped Rei’s hand. “Everyone can be happy now.”

“Nagisa,” Rin sighed.

“I know you like him, Rin-chan. What is so hard about this?”

“That’s just not how it works,” Rin said, rubbing his eyes.

“Nagisa, leave Rin alone. He’s scared.” All eyes turned to Haru, but he ignored all but one pair--Rin’s.

“Haru…” Makoto began, but Rin cut him off.

“I’m _what?!_ ”

“You’re scared. Of Nagisa.”

“RinRin, is that true?” Nagisa’s voice was full of pity. _Don’t need to overdo it_ , Haru tried to silently sush Nagisa while keeping his face blank. Luckily, Rin didn’t notice a thing.

“I am not scared of Nagisa. How could I be?”

“It makes sense. We hurt you.” Haru placed a hand on Makoto’s knee and squeezed.

“I’m over it. Over you both,” Rin argued, but the way he glared at Haru’s hand suggested otherwise.

“Have you been with anyone else since us?” Haru asked. Rin looked away, which provided all the answer Haru needed.

“Rin…” Makoto started, but apparently didn’t know what else to say.

“It’s okay if you need more time,” Haru said. “Some people take longer to heal than others.”

Rin shook his head. “Just shut up.”

“I’m sorry.” Haru’s apology seemed to be the final straw to break Rin.

“I don’t need your pity, and I am _not_ scared.” He reached forward to grab Nagisa’s hand and drag him toward the door. Haru stood up to follow, Makoto close behind.  “Come on, Rei.”

“Rin, what?”

“We’re going on a date,” Rin responded curtly. Under his breath Haru could clearly hear him mutter, “Show him who’s scared.”

“Rin, we really don’t have to…”

“Rei, are you coming or not?”

“Right, yes.”

“RinRin is so demanding!” Nagisa seemed way to happy about this find, but Haru tried not too think too much about it and, thankfully, Rin ignored it. Rin slid into his shoes and pushed the door open while waiting for Nagisa and Rei to get theirs on. Haru caught a glimpse of Nagisa grabbing onto Rin’s hand and grinning before the door closed. Haru smiled to himself. Rin was still way too easy to manipulate. 

“Are you sure this is ok, Haru?”

Haru shrugged. “Nagisa likes Rin. He won’t hurt him.”

About a minute later he received a text from Nagisa.

_Haru-chan is an evil genius! Thank you!!! But I’m still mad about you keeping secrets ( >д<) _

Haru replied.

_take care of him_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do have a couple more scenes in mind for this (not sure if it will be one chapter or long enough to merit two) so it's not over, but I'm not sure when I'll get them done.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to hit me up at [squirrelmort.tumblr.com](http://squirrelmort.tumblr.com) if you want to talk about this or just about anything.


End file.
